Change in approach results in PSAL boys' cross country title for Curtis

Curtis' Saad Baig finished third in the PSAL city cross country championships. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Curtis coach Ron Banks decided to shorten the rest period between the end of last outdoor season and the beginning of cross country with hopes of improving on an admittedly disappointing 2011-12 year.

With a city championship seemingly within grasp, Banks strategically held back his top runners early in the season, with the thought that the pack mentality would shorten the gap between his top three and his fourth and fifth finishers.

"Early on in the season, we sacrificed individual goals for the good of the team," said Banks.

The gamble paid started to pay dividends Saturday as senior Saad Baig, no longer holding back, surprised many with a third-place, 16-minute, 36.93-second effort to help propel the Warriors to the team title at the PSAL City Championship meet at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

"I knew (Stuyvesant's Jack) Stevenson would go out hard to make everybody chase him," said Baig. "I went out controlled and was just looking to keep (him) within my sight for the second half of the race. I pride myself on being able to hammer the hills and I was able to put myself into a good position."

It was a two-horse race for the team championship as Curtis had Baig and five in the top 50, but so did Stuyvesant; and the Manhattan school had overall winner Stevenson (16:13.39).

In the end, Banks' pack strategy paid off as Curtis won its first PSAL City crown since 2002.